Probably autism+OCD
Has the city lost it's mind...
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
Probably autism+OCD
And probably harmless. Friends have a non verbal autistic son in a home. Every time the staff changes his world changes. Staff policy goes from minimal drugs to zombie them.
Why?
You have a better suggestion?
Meth. Withdrawal. Mental illness.
A couple months ago my family was in Peterborough for my daughters' dance recital and we had some time to kill so we walked to the farmer's market. There's a guy out of his mind singing a song about the color pattern of brick on the building. (Kids thought it was funny and sang along lol)
I made a point of walking on the opposite side of the road to avoid him. Just as we get close he cuts across the street right towards us yelling more non-sense. Was definitely worried at that point. Was definitely mentally preparing myself to fight a homeless junkie in front of my kids.
At the last minute he stops and notices the shiny motorcycle parked on the side of the road (just happened to be walking by where I'd parked) He starts walking towards my bike yelling about motorcycles having two wheels. Again worried. Again getting ready for a confrontation. Luckily all OK.
Coming back he was following/yelling at an old lady that was passing by about how he used to be normal until some guy ruined his life.
30ish years ago Peterborough was part of my sales area and if I needed a stress free day I booked a day there for calls. A lot has changed since then. Big companies packed up and left.
I haven't been there since pre covid and have heard it's not the same. Little towns are not always safe sanctuaries.
I have a cousin in Yellowknife and she says they have big city problems as well. Drugs and homelessness etc.
It doesn't sound like it's related to meth or withdrawal.
A week or two ago Trudeau was in Peterborough and I was thinking that the park he was in for his photo ops sure looked nice. Noticed it was Millennium park, the same place that had all of the homeless encampments raided one month (to the day) earlier and had been in the news a few times since with the police coming down heavy on people.
The last few years I started avoiding taking my kids to the parks in Peterborough. I noticed that Millennium park had been cleaned up this year and started taking my kids for bike rides again on the trail along the water. Turns out it is possible to make our parks/streets safe. You just need to invite Justin to town.
I would like to see 811 used for more than just talking to nurses. Add non-emergency number for people in distress like the above. In the above case Costco (or someone else) could call 811, a social worker with a cop is dispatched. They access the situation and if needed take the person away to get help or back to their "home".
Could be used for homeless sleeping on the street, addicts wasted and hanging out, tent people in parks (first tent, zero tolerance), people in "distress" on the transit. Anyone can call. Many resources in the back end is required for temp housing etc. but in the end I bet the numbers go down as it becomes hassle for distressed people... so they move on to another jurisdiction or have some motivation to get things to be better.
Better then cops shooting people, people getting stabbed, distressed people in complete despair. No need to call 911.
Many details to sort out, but it is a start...
****
BTW, my kid went up to a friends cottage for a weekend a few weekends ago. This time she took the Northland bus and the friend picked her up instead of us driving two hours each way back and forth twice in one weekend.... Bus on the way up was non-eventful. On the way back she said it was packed, more than half of the people with garbage bags for luggage, heading to TO for drugs and to live on the streets (she could hear their conversations). The above will put an end to that lifestyle choice.
There was also a handful of prostitutes (agian she could hear the conversations), at least they have "jobs".
Could be used for homeless sleeping on the street, addicts wasted and hanging out, tent people in parks (first tent, zero tolerance), people in "distress" on the transit. Anyone can call. Many resources in the back end is required for temp housing etc. but in the end I bet the numbers go down as it becomes hassle for distressed people... so they move on to another jurisdiction or have some motivation to get things to be better.
Better then cops shooting people, people getting stabbed, distressed people in complete despair. No need to call 911.
Many details to sort out, but it is a start...
****
BTW, my kid went up to a friends cottage for a weekend a few weekends ago. This time she took the Northland bus and the friend picked her up instead of us driving two hours each way back and forth twice in one weekend.... Bus on the way up was non-eventful. On the way back she said it was packed, more than half of the people with garbage bags for luggage, heading to TO for drugs and to live on the streets (she could hear their conversations). The above will put an end to that lifestyle choice.
There was also a handful of prostitutes (agian she could hear the conversations), at least they have "jobs".
Barrie cops rarely respond to homeless issues unless there is an imminent risk of somebody dying. They tell callers to call the Busby center to deal with them. The Busby Centre tries but they don't have unlimited resources. That often means that strung-out people are fighting and hanging out in parks full of kids.
Busby Centre | Busby Centre in Barrie, ON
www.busbycentre.ca
Fifteen or so years ago we did the Trent and stayed at the marina downtown, great souvlaki place across the street. No sign of troubles.
We were heading to Ottawa but stopped short at Smiths Falls, staying a few delightful days. We did hear that boats docked overnight along the canal in Ottawa would have panhandlers bugging them in the mornings. Considering most boats are as secure as a lunch box it wouldn't encourage touring.
We used to hear Americans saying how clean our cities were. I wonder what the effect of our troubles is having on tourism.
Maybe we could bill ourselves as the Oka cheese of tourism. A great experience if you can stand the smell.
Where are they going to go? Most jurisdictions have their own addiction problem. You remove one addict.. and another will fill their place... relocating them won't work.
The cops and security guards do 'hassle' them.. breakup encampments.. but again.. it comes down to.. where are they going to go?
The rehabs are full.. temp housing is full.. detox's are full... wait lists everywhere.
All the mental lock ups are full so if a person with metal issues has to be detained it's a jail or prison where they don't get treated for their condition.
I got myself involved in that world a while ago.. it started with the animal lover in me.. seeing homeless addicts with dogs.. I'd bring them dog food, supplies and offer access to my vet if the dog needed it... while trying to convince most of them to give it up.. and finding homes for it if they do. I give out cards to the ones that have dogs that say "if this person is and/or dog is found in distress, call this # and I'll come take care of the dog".. I got calls all the time, at all times.. from cops, paramedics and others... usually involving an OD. Not so much lately, we've gotten dogs off the streets.. and not seeing any out there with addicts right now.
At first I didn't give a **** about the people.. but it became hard to ignore... some of them were/are decent folks.. except they're addicts.
Some times the wife goes out and buys clothes, food, toiletries and supplies, packs gym bags.. I'll go give out.
I go thru encampments and spots..some times in the middle of the night.
Most nights, I walk my dog on a route that lets me check in on a couple folks that camp in the local ravines.
I rarely ever get nervous or worry about any of them.. Most are pretty harmless and friendly... some have serious metal issues... Most of the time, my biggest worry is that they'll try to hug me. I've had one confrontation.. it was ended quick and easy.
I've narcan'd folks, brought them back.. seen others that were too far gone.
I've been apart of getting a couple off the streets..
The first guy I got to know.. a 20 yr old, fentanyl addict that I've seen OD'd a dozen or so times. I checked in on him regularly. I took his dog from him while reviving him a second time in the same day. He called me one night and said he had enough.. I picked him up, took him to the hospital then dropped him at detox.. picked him up from detox a week later and drove him up north to a rehab. He went thru rehab... we helped him get into a place and a job at a buddy's warehouse. So far, he's doing really good.
Another young woman we got to know is in rehab right now.. If she completes the program.. and still wants it... there'll be a place to go and job for her.
They are lucky.. they only got a spot in rehab immediately because of a friend pulling strings.. and then the assistance from us and others afterwards.
Most have to go back to the streets after detox while they wait for a spot in rehab... most will fail in that time... and won't get near as much, if any, assistance afterwards.
I've met lots of 'frontline' workers.. cops, medics, social workers, addiction workers.. and lots of folks volunteering their time and money... I've had lots of conversation with them and people at different facilities... they're all frustrated and most are doing what they can.
At first I didn't give a **** about the people.. but it became hard to ignore... some of them were/are decent folks.. except they're addicts.
Some times the wife goes out and buys clothes, food, toiletries and supplies, packs gym bags.. I'll go give out.
I go thru encampments and spots..some times in the middle of the night.
Most nights, I walk my dog on a route that lets me check in on a couple folks that camp in the local ravines.
I rarely ever get nervous or worry about any of them.. Most are pretty harmless and friendly... some have serious metal issues... Most of the time, my biggest worry is that they'll try to hug me. I've had one confrontation.. it was ended quick and easy.
I've narcan'd folks, brought them back.. seen others that were too far gone.
I've been apart of getting a couple off the streets..
The first guy I got to know.. a 20 yr old, fentanyl addict that I've seen OD'd a dozen or so times. I checked in on him regularly. I took his dog from him while reviving him a second time in the same day. He called me one night and said he had enough.. I picked him up, took him to the hospital then dropped him at detox.. picked him up from detox a week later and drove him up north to a rehab. He went thru rehab... we helped him get into a place and a job at a buddy's warehouse. So far, he's doing really good.
Another young woman we got to know is in rehab right now.. If she completes the program.. and still wants it... there'll be a place to go and job for her.
They are lucky.. they only got a spot in rehab immediately because of a friend pulling strings.. and then the assistance from us and others afterwards.
Most have to go back to the streets after detox while they wait for a spot in rehab... most will fail in that time... and won't get near as much, if any, assistance afterwards.
I've met lots of 'frontline' workers.. cops, medics, social workers, addiction workers.. and lots of folks volunteering their time and money... I've had lots of conversation with them and people at different facilities... they're all frustrated and most are doing what they can.
Kudos for what you and your wife are doing.
I guess what bothers me is seeing so much money being used for bandages instead of fixing the problem. Sadly fixing the problem means lancing a lot of puss boils and there are a lot of people that don't want others to know how much puss they are hiding and passing on to others.
In my 20's I met a girl and one day as we were going out I thought I was being suave, helping her with her scarf...until I saw the look of terror on her face. Her father was an alcoholic that had once tried to strangle her. She had left home and was able to live with friends. She eventually became an alcoholic herself and the last I heard was on her third marriage. How do you fix that?
Baby boomers can be part of problem not only because they bought houses at five and low six figures but also because they still think they could they could do it in today's market. In the glory days of boomerism a guy with grade 12 could get a job that would pay the rent and provide for the family. Now a BA gets you a job driving a cab.
You can give a person food and shelter but how do you give them hope?
Cole's Notes:
-200 protesters show up at day 1 of 2 dayfestival fundraiser money funneling scheme for dictator led government in Africa.
-Things get stabby.
-200 protesters show up at day 1 of 2 day
-Things get stabby.
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Well as I noted you need to add capacity and invest into the system. Regardless of the plan. Housing them in this context is just for triage (not long term), are you dangerous, are you already housed, are you from somewhere other than here.
As for where they will go, it will be the path of least resistance--no doubt, which may likely mean somewhere other than here, for very few it may mean getting clean. For other than here, that is unethical but it solves a local problem. In the end enabling them is even more unethical and just puts them deeper into despair. As a society we need to pick our poison--they already chose theirs.
Remember when Mikey Harris closed a bunch of psych hospitals. Good Times!
@raginduck Kudos to you indeed!
I’m not sure what the answer is , but I do think it’s multigenerational. Gramma was a bit ‘off’ but had 6 kids , two are a bit ‘off’ but they have 3 kids each and nobody looks for help , alcohol was the first drug of choice , it took the edge off , till it put the edge on. When kids feel safer in a park than at home , things are way offside .
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